The field of the present invention is inhaler delivery systems for volatiles.
Tobacco smoking is blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Further, second hand smoke inhaled by others is also blamed for serious health problems. Tobacco smoke also contains many known carcinogens, gasses and particulates that are harmful to ones health. There have been many products attempting to help people quit smoking. However, millions are unable to break the habit. One of the main reasons for this is that tobacco smoke contains nicotine which is believed to be highly addictive.
An object of many smoking cessation aids and nicotine therapy products is to deliver to the user a dose of nicotine without the many deleterious effects of smoke found in burning tobacco. Nicotine inhalers are growing in popularity as a device to deliver nicotine vapor or gasses through inhalation to the user without damaging smoke.
One advantage to inhalers is that it more closely resembles the act of smoking. Such inhalers deliver a dose of nicotine directly to the mucous membrane of the mouth and or lungs where it is absorbed quickly and transferred to the brain to satisfy the craving for nicotine. Another advantage to nicotine inhalers is that they can be made in a similar shape and size to that of a cigarette to more closely resemble the act of smoking a lit cigarette. Additionally, inhalers can provide the xe2x80x9chitxe2x80x9d upon demand of a sudden dose of delivered nicotine to the user that is similar to a lit cigarette.
An estimate recently made by a major cigarette filter manufacturer concluded that the global consumption of cigarettes in 1999 was 5.7 trillion. A modern cigarette manufacturing line produces 14,000 cigarettes each minute. Not only do ignitable cigarettes efficiently deliver nicotine, they can be manufactured at a rate and cost sufficient to satisfy the demand. Available nicotine inhalers have not matched the efficiency and low cost production of modern cigarette manufacturing.
Of the many different nicotine inhaler designs known, all have something in common. The outer container that houses the nicotine delivery system or nicotine content is sealed from the atmosphere by an independent means, action or system that is additional to the primary nicotine container itself. Whether it is an additional package wrapping, internal valve sealer, removable cap or heat sealed nicotine impermeable tabs that are designed to be punctured or removed; all have an additional step or series of components designed to keep the primary nicotine impermeable container sealed from the atmosphere. The reason for this is that nicotine is a volatile substance and will degrade rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere unless the container of the inhaler is properly sealed.
The present invention is directed to an inhaler of volatiles. The inhaler includes a one piece tube containing a volatile substance. The tube is pinch closed at the ends to form a sealed chamber. Access to the volatiles is accomplished by removing the pinched ends so that the user may draw through the tube to inhale the volatile. The volatile may include, inter alia, nicotine and/or a flavoring or medicant. Depending on need, an absorbent element may provide a storage matrix for the volatile.
The tube typically has a cylindrical cross section but may deviate therefrom to increase the ratio of tube surface area to cross-sectional area for increased delivery. Reservoirs may be incorporated into the body of the tubing for added storage of volatiles. The ends are most conveniently sealed by heat and may be torn with scoring or cut to access the volatile.
The invention may also contemplate a cutter. The cutter includes a body having a longitudinal path. A blade is mounted to slide along the path within the body. There is a slot access in the body to the path which is sized to closely receive one of the pinch closed and sealed ends. The body may have a passage open at one end and extending to the slot.
The invention includes a method for dispensing volatile nicotine by cutting the ends of a sealed one piece tube and drawing air through the tube.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved volatile inhaler. Further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.